Virtual Reality, or “VR,” refers to computer-based technologies that seek to generate realistic images, sounds, and sensations in an attempt to replicate an environment. A user is immersed into the environment by being subjected to the images, sounds, and sensations as if the user had a physical presence in the environment. The user is also able to interact with the computer-generated environment and interact with depictions of objects located within the computer-generated environment.
In order to create an immersive and realistic experience for the user, a VR headset may be used. Typically, the VR headset includes a stereoscopic, head-mounted display, lenses, and head motion tracking sensors. The lenses are arranged to act as a stereoscope for viewing the stereoscopic display. Due to various concerns relating to weight, size, wearability, and cost of the VR headset, compromises in lenses have become commonplace.
In consequence, the lenses used in VR headsets typically generate images with multiple aberrations. These aberrations may include field curvature, astigmatism, lateral color, etc. As such, the VR user experience tends to be acceptable only when the user watches content straight ahead at the center of the field of view (FOV) of the stereoscopic display. Imagery positioned toward the periphery of the FOV is blurred with high field and color aberration causing eye strain, nausea, and user discomfort. Blurring of imagery at the periphery also causes eye accommodation difficulty and further contributes to VR sickness.